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Dr. McConnell & Skip

Patricia McConnell, Ph.D

Author. Animal Behaviorist. In Love with Dogs.


I’m an animal behaviorist, author, speaker, and dog lover who I like to say is “stupid in love with dogs.” Maybe not the smartest thing in the world to introduce one’s self with the word “stupid,” but the fact is that I adore dogs, cherish dogs, and occasionally wish I was a dog. After years of seeing clients with serious canine behavior problems, and writing many books about dog behavior and training, I’ve branched out in my dotage to write fiction—a mystery novel that is, of course, full of dogs. I can’t wait for you to meet “Maddie McGown,” the protagonist of my mystery novel, Away to Me, and her dogs, especially Jack, a Border collie teenager who infatuates and infuriates Maddie often on the same day, a livestock guarding dog named Bo Peep, who always watches her sheep, and the handsome stranger, Cisco, who Maddie adopts from a shelter, and whose disappearance leads Maddie on an obsessive and dangerous journey to bring her home. (Spoiler alert—just don’t tell my editor!—all dogs will be fine. Of course!) Away to Me is coming out February 24, 2026 (but available for pre-order now and I’m pretty much like a Labrador standing over a plate of chicken waiting to hold the book in my hand. What follows is a far more traditional resume to let you know more about me.

Patricia is known worldwide as an expert on canine and feline training and behavior and for her engaging and knowledgeable books, speeches, and seminars. She is the author of the much-acclaimed books The Other End of the Leash (published in 13 languages), For the Love of a Dog, and her memoir, The Education of Will. Her self-published books and booklets on dog training and companion animal behavior problems have sold over 750,000 copies, and continually receive rave reviews from professional trainers, veterinarians, and animal lovers from all over the world. She was the behavior columnist for The Barkmagazine, “the New Yorker of Dog Magazines,” and wrote for many other publications, including APDT’s Chronicle of the Dog and Natural History. She has made numerous television appearances, including spots with Anderson Cooper on CNN, Martha Stewart, and Wayne Brady.

Patricia saw clients for serious behavioral problems for thirty years, and taught “The Biology and Philosophy of Human/Animal Relationships” Zoology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for twenty-five years. For fourteen years she dispensed advice about behavior problems, and information about animal behavior research, on Wisconsin Public Radio’s Calling All Pets, which was heard in over 110 cities around the country. She continues to enjoy radio appearances, including on Wisconsin Public Radio’s The Larry Meiller Show.

A highly-sought after speaker, McConnell has presented seminars all over the United States, and in Canada, Germany, Australia, Sweden, Belgium, Scotland and New Zealand. Retired from seeing cases in 2018, Patricia stays active by writing a popular blog, The Other End of the Leash, making numerous appearances on podcasts, speaking about her books and animal behavior, and having an active social media presence.

Patricia received her Ph.D. in Zoology in 1988 from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, researching dog behavior and communication between professional trainers and working domestic animals. Her dissertation received the prestigious Allee Award from the Animal Behavior Society that same year. Patricia co-founded Dog’s Best Friend, Ltd in 1988, now owned and operated by Aimee Moore (see their website for more information about dog training classes and behavior consultations in the Madison, WI area). Patricia and her husband, Jim, have two dogs and a very spoiled flock of sheep on a small farm in Southwestern Wisconsin. Her gardens and her beloved Border Collies, Maggie and Skip, keep her outside and active. Trisha suffers from Separation Anxiety each time she leaves her farm, but loves continuing to spread the word about the joys of understanding the animals around us.


Resources:


Away To Me, Patricia McConnell, Ph.D

Limited Offer: Order one of the 200 books available directly from Arcadia Books in Spring Green, Wisconsin, and Patricia will personally inscribe & sign the book for you! And, Arcadia Books will ship it to you (even if you can't make one of the book tour locations!)




Dr. McConnell's other books:



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